The audience then see the girls throwing flowers into the cauldron and asking Tituba to make a boy from the village love them. At this point the audience become aware of the fact that Tituba is believed to have certain powers, but that she also has a certain friendship with the girls, whereby they trust and believe her. The setting of this scene, hidden from the village in the woods, suggests that the girls know they are going against the rules and laws of the village and the religion they have been brought up with, but that they are willing to follow Tituba.
The camera then focuses on Tituba and Betty, as Tituba asks Betty what is wrong. Betty does not reply and merely opens her hand, releasing a frog which leaps into the cauldron. The girls jump back and look to Tituba as if she is their leader. The audience and the girls are waiting to see her reaction. As she laughs the girls quickly follow, signifying to the audience how they are easily influenced by her. In the film the audience, therefore, learn very soon about the involvement of Tituba in witchcraft and how the girls are really innocent of witchcraft. In the play this does not become apparent until much later.
The involvement of Tituba in witchcraft and her influence over the girls is reinforced in the following shots where the audience see Tituba rise to her feet and begin to swing and sway. The girls mimic her and cry out again for her to put spells on people to make them love them. As Tituba continues to swing and sway the girls ask Abigail who she wants. She does not reply, but the girls speak for her. “She wants John Proctor, Tituba. Get her John Proctor.” This is the audience’s introduction to Abigail. The first thing they learn about her is her adulterous affair with John Proctor. They are given an image of an untrustworthy, untruthful person who is prepared to bully people to get her own way.
Abigail whispers in evil and Tituba replies aloud “I do no evil.” This reinforces the idea that the audience have already been forming, that Abigail is an evil person.
Abigail pulls a dead chicken from under some cloth and passes it to Tituba. The camera focuses on the faces of girls as she holds it above her head. They are watching her with fear and excitement. Abigail goes out of shot as she grabs the chicken, only to appear again a few seconds later, with blood on her hands and face. This is symbolic of the role Abigail plays in the film. She is ultimately responsible for the deaths of so many people and yet shows no emotion or regret of her actions. Also symbolic is the hysterical reaction of the girls. They run around, shouting screaming and start to strip off their clothes. It is the hysterical, unreasoned action of the villagers to the accusations of witchcraft that allow the witch hunts and executions to take place.
